• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

2

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'

3

Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics

1

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

2

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'

3

Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics
NewslettersBroadsheet

Is it time to rethink the Olympics?

By
Kristen Bellstrom
Kristen Bellstrom
and
Emma Hinchliffe
Emma Hinchliffe
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Kristen Bellstrom
Kristen Bellstrom
and
Emma Hinchliffe
Emma Hinchliffe
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 29, 2021, 8:54 AM ET
Video Poster

This is the web version of The Broadsheet, a daily newsletter for and about the world’s most powerful women. Sign up to get it delivered free to your inbox.

Good morning, Broadsheet readers! Women now outnumber men in Wharton’s MBA program, the U.K. takes action on board diversity, and it’s time to talk about the future of the Olympic Games. Have a lovely Thursday.

– Heavy metal. Did you catch The Weight of Gold, the HBO documentary about the mental health challenges faced by many Olympians and the utter lack of support they’ve received as they struggle to cope? I missed it when it came out last year, but sat down to catch up earlier this week. It’s a harrowing watch—and one that feels all more prescient after what we’ve seen in Tokyo thus far.

We should probably have known that these Games—played a year late, amid a continuing pandemic, and in a society that’s struggling to finally reckon with embedded inequality—would be the ones to break the Olympics. And it’s about time.

Don’t get me wrong. I do love watching them. And the moments of transcendence and community the Games sometimes deliver are unique. We have so few things that bring us together now; it hurts to think about losing one.

So, the question, I think, is how can the Olympics be reformed to be more empathetic and respectful of athletes’ humanity? I’m not sure of the answer, but I do know who to ask: the women, and particularly the women of color, who are out there sounding the alarm and insisting that the IOC’s business as usual cannot continue.

There’s Simone Biles, of course, who continued competing at the highest level in part because of her determination to hold Team USA accountable for the abuse perpetrated by disgraced team doctor Larry Nassar—and who found the courage to put her health ahead of the pressure to compete. (Biles officially confirmed yesterday that she won’t be competing in the individual all-around final). Naomi Osaka, who paved the way on athlete mental health, called the pressure put on Olympians “a bit much.” The German gymnastics team that competes in full-body unitards to counter “sexualization.” The Norwegian beach handball team who were fined for playing in shorts in a European championship. U.K. swimmer Alice Dearing, who spoke out against the ban on swim caps designed for natural Black hair. And the many, many Olympic moms who fought—and ultimately won—a battle against restrictions that would require them to leave their young children at home.

This piece from USA Today digs into the stands taken by many of these athletes—and examines the history of sexism and male control over female bodies that the Olympics has historically enabled. (The IOC is overwhelmingly male and has never had a female president.) With more than a week of competition to go, I doubt we’ve heard the last from the athletes who love their sports—but are reaching the end of their ropes on what they’re willing to sacrifice in the name of Olympic glory. Let’s hope those who have the power to make change are listening.

Kristen Bellstrom
kristen.bellstrom@fortune.com
@kayelbee

The Broadsheet, Fortune’s newsletter for and about the world’s most powerful women, is coauthored by Kristen Bellstrom, Emma Hinchliffe, and Claire Zillman. Today’s edition was curated by Emma Hinchliffe. 

ALSO IN THE HEADLINES

- Master this. Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania is now the first of the elite MBA programs to enroll more women than men. In the new fall cohort, 52% of students will be women. Wall Street Journal

- Go for the gold. Sunisa Lee, who will compete Thursday in the women's gymnastics individual all-around, is the first Hmong-American on Team USA, and this story digs into what she means for that community. 

- British boards. The U.K.'s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) proposed new rules over board diversity, taking a cue from Nasdaq's stateside board diversity push. The rule would take a "comply or explain" approach to asking companies to have boards that are 40% women, with at least one person of color and one woman in a senior board role. Fortune

- Toll of the job. It's no secret being surgeon is a tough job. But a new study finds just how much the job can wear on the women who hold it: 42% of female surgeons have suffered the loss of a pregnancy, a rate more than twice that of the general population. One cause? The stigma against pregnancy during residency and other training—and few options for maternity leave—leading many in the field to delay pregnancy until later in life, making them higher-risk. New York Times

MOVERS AND SHAKERS: Former Unity Technologies CFO Kimberly Jabal joins the board of Lucid. Karen Daniel and Anita Newton join the board of trustees for the Kauffman Foundation. Katrina Benjamin will become chief product officer at ApartmentList. 

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

- Content is king. Alphabet's earnings this week revealed the extent to which YouTube, led by CEO Susan Wojcicki, is now a true competitor to the streamers. YouTube took in $7 billion in advertising revenue last quarter, compared to $7.34 billion at Netflix. CNBC

- Going green? The Guardian has been investigating "Queen's consent," or a U.K. parliamentary framework that gives the monarch the ability to view legislation in advance. The paper's latest discovery is that lawyers representing Queen Elizabeth II lobbied Scottish lawmakers to change a draft law to exempt her private land from an initiative to cut carbon emissions. Guardian

- Taking action. The National Council of Negro Women this week filed a lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson, alleging that the pharmaceutical company "marketed talcum-based baby powder to Black women amid concerns over the product and ovarian cancer risks." The plaintiffs' lawyers say the lawsuit is "about the lives of our grandmothers, our mothers, our wives, sisters, and daughters." J&J says: "The idea that our company would purposefully and systematically target a community with bad intentions is unreasonable and absurd." USA Today

ON MY RADAR

Inside Blizzard developers’ infamous Bill ‘Cosby Suite’ Kotaku

Why it’s so hard to find childcare right now: 80% of centers are understaffed Fortune

Roe v. Wade is now in the hands of the three Trump justices. Does that mean it might be safe? Slate

PARTING WORDS

"You cannot deny it, you cannot pretend it doesn’t happen."

-Chess champion Hou Yifan on the lack of women in competitive chess. A New Yorker feature details how she has come the closest of anyone to becoming chess's first female world champion. 

About the Authors
Kristen Bellstrom
By Kristen Bellstrom
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Emma Hinchliffe
By Emma HinchliffeMost Powerful Women Editor
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Emma Hinchliffe is Fortune’s Most Powerful Women editor, overseeing editorial for the longstanding franchise. As a senior writer at Fortune, Emma has covered women in business and gender-lens news across business, politics, and culture. She is the lead author of the Most Powerful Women Daily newsletter (formerly the Broadsheet), Fortune’s daily missive for and about the women leading the business world.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Newsletters

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Newsletters

Boris Cherny is the creator and head of Claude Code at Anthropic
NewslettersEye on AI
Anthropic lands in London as AI-powered coding—and the anxieties around it—go mainstream
By Beatrice NolanMay 21, 2026
24 minutes ago
Victoria’s Secret’s CEO is so confident in her strategy to bring back sexy that the company just changed its stock ticker to ‘VSXY’
NewslettersMPW Daily
Victoria’s Secret’s CEO is so confident in her strategy to bring back sexy that the company just changed its stock ticker to ‘VSXY’
By Emma HinchliffeMay 21, 2026
30 minutes ago
Intuit CFO on why the company is simplifying its structure
NewslettersCFO Daily
Intuit CFO on why the company is simplifying its structure
By Sheryl EstradaMay 21, 2026
2 hours ago
Elon Musk sits with his fists together, looking up.
NewslettersTerm Sheet
SpaceX’s IPO filing is full of surprises
By Allie GarfinkleMay 21, 2026
8 hours ago
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk unveiling the company's new manned spacecraft in Hawthorne, Calif. on May 29, 2014. (Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
NewslettersFortune Tech
Rollout complete: SpaceX files IPO prospectus
By Andrew NuscaMay 21, 2026
9 hours ago
The SpaceX IPO is a referendum on Elon Musk and his plan to colonize Mars
NewslettersCEO Daily
The SpaceX IPO is a referendum on Elon Musk and his plan to colonize Mars
By Diane BradyMay 21, 2026
9 hours ago

Most Popular

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
Workplace Culture
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
By Preston ForeMay 19, 2026
2 days ago
Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
Success
Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
By Preston ForeMay 20, 2026
1 day ago
Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics
Future of Work
Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics
By Mike Householder and The Associated PressMay 17, 2026
4 days ago
Pay transparency is exposing a bigger problem: Most companies can't explain why they pay what they pay
Workplace Culture
Pay transparency is exposing a bigger problem: Most companies can't explain why they pay what they pay
By Sydney LakeMay 20, 2026
23 hours ago
Dr. Bernice King on why companies that walked back DEI were never truly committed: 'If you retreat that quick…that reveals who you really are'
Workplace Culture
Dr. Bernice King on why companies that walked back DEI were never truly committed: 'If you retreat that quick…that reveals who you really are'
By Preston ForeMay 19, 2026
2 days ago
A 'proudly autistic' workplace expert says putting neurodivergent employees in a typical office is like dropping a polar bear in Austin, Texas
Conferences
A 'proudly autistic' workplace expert says putting neurodivergent employees in a typical office is like dropping a polar bear in Austin, Texas
By Tristan BoveMay 20, 2026
22 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.